


Tapestry of Words

by imaginary_golux



Series: Fractured Fairy Tales [18]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Clever Anait, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 07:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11869752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: Based on the Armenian fairy tale Clever Anait: Prince Finn encounters a particularly clever maiden in the woods, and asks her hand in marriage. Clever Rey won't hear of marrying any man who doesn't have a trade - and princeing doesn't count.Beta by my ever-wonderful Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.





	Tapestry of Words

Once upon a time there was a young prince named Finn, as kind and good-hearted as a midsummer’s day is long, and all his people loved him. There were many princesses and noble ladies who desired most ardently to marry him, but he did not like any of them enough to wed, and so when he could no longer bear the many suitors pursuing him, he would go out for long rides, alone, fearing nothing; for who would do him harm?

One day, there were so very many suitors in his parents’ castle that Prince Finn rode farther than he ever had before, and found himself in a part of the country where he had never been; and moreover found that he was very hot and tired and thirsty, and desired nothing so much as a drink of cool water, for he had given his horse all that he had in his waterskin. At last he came upon a little cottage in the middle of the forest, with a young woman drawing water at the well.

“Of your courtesy,” said Prince Finn to the young woman, “may I have some water from your well?”

“Certainly,” said the young woman, and drew another bucket as he stood there panting. But when the water was drawn she set it away from him, and said, “This is for you, but you may not have it yet.”

Prince Finn took a deep breath and said, “Gracious lady, I am exceeding thirsty; may I have the water from your well?”

“Certainly,” said the young woman, “but not yet.”

Prince Finn waited a moment, very confused, and then he said, “Most excellent lady, by your leave, may I drink of the water of your well?”

The young woman looked him up and down and nodded and handed him the bucket. “Now you may,” she said, and Prince Finn drank deeply and gave the rest to his patient horse.

“Gracious lady,” he said, “why did you make me wait to drink?”

“You were very overheated,” the young woman said calmly. “Had you drunk deep of the cold water of my well, as you desired, it would have made you ill. But as I made you wait until you had become less heated, you took no hurt of it.”

Prince Finn was very astonished by the wisdom and kindness of this answer, and said to the young woman, “Of your kindness, tell me your name, that I may know who to thank for the water and my safe drinking of it.”

“My name is Rey,” said the young woman. “And what is yours, traveller?”

“That you will know soon enough,” said Prince Finn, and took his leave of her, and rode posthaste back to his parents’ castle; and when he reached it he told them that he had chosen his bride-to-be, for he would marry none but the woods-lady Rey, who was so kind and clever. They argued with him for a very long time, but Prince Finn would not be moved, and so at last messengers were sent to the cottage in the middle of the forest, to proclaim that Prince Finn had chosen the lady who lived there as his bride, if she would consent.

“Well,” said Rey, thoughtfully, “It’s good to know his name. What is his trade?”

“...He is a prince, lady,” said the very confused messenger.

“That’s not a trade,” Rey said. “I shall not marry any man who does not have a trade; for who knows when some disaster may strike, and only his own skills shall be left to him?”

“I will...bear him your words,” said the increasingly confused messenger, and brought her ultimatum back to the castle.

“She is wiser than I had dreamed,” said Prince Finn when he heard what she had said, and took himself at once to the many artisans who worked for the castle, and watched them at their labors until he found one whose craft suited him the best; and then he set himself most stubbornly to learn the trade of a weaver. For three years he studied night and day, until at last his teacher proclaimed that he had achieved the rank of a master weaver.

Then Prince Finn went himself to the cottage in the middle of the woods, bearing with him the tapestry he had made as his masterwork, and presented it to the cottage’s owner, and said, “Now I have a trade, and here is the proof of it, for I made this with my own hands; now will you consent to marry me?”

“I will,” said Rey, and they were married the next week, and for several years lived together in great harmony and happiness.

At length it came to pass that the king and queen found they had grown old, and retired to a castle in the country, leaving Prince Finn the king with his Queen Rey beside him, and they ruled very wisely and well, and their people loved them, the king for his kind heart and gracious courtesy, and the queen for her cleverness and courage.

After a little while, though, there began to be rumors that people from outlying villages were vanishing, kidnapped in the night by some malevolent force. These rumors grew in strength and number, until at last King Finn said to his queen, “I must go and see what is truly happening; do you stay here, beloved, and rule while I am gone, and I shall send you word at once when I have learned anything.”

“Very well,” said Queen Rey. “Be safe, my love, and return to me swiftly; and all shall be as you would have desired it, for I shall act as your mercy and kindness would command.” So the king put off his royal robes and put on those of a traveling weaver, and went out into his kingdom to see what he could see.

For many days he traveled without incident, observing with great pride the wealth and health and joy of his people, who lived in peace and prosperity beneath the rule of their good king and his clever queen; but at last King Finn did in fact discover who had been spiriting off his subjects in the night. Alas, he discovered it by being himself kidnapped, and woke to find himself in the clutches of a dark magician and his minions, imprisoned alongside many other poor innocents.

“My prisoners must work, or they are worthless,” the dark magician declared. “You will all tell me what your skills are, or I will have you slain this moment.”

King Finn stood and placed himself before his subjects, and said to the dark magician, “I am a master weaver, and these are my assistants; I cannot do without even one of them.” And the other prisoners each swore up and down that they were indeed assistants to the master weaver, and aided him in his labors.

So the dark magician glowered and scowled, but at last he said, “Very well, _master weaver_ , I will bring you wood and thread, and you will make me a tapestry fit for the very queen herself. And if you do not, I will slay all your assistants one by one.”

So the wood and thread were brought, and King Finn said to his companions, “Though I am a master weaver I am not skilled in working wood; do any of you know how to build a loom? For while I can weave without one, it will take more time and be less well done.”

Then one of his companions said, “I can build a loom, the finest you have ever seen,” and he took wood and tools and built a great loom as sturdy and beautiful as can be imagined, and he sang as he worked so cheerfully that the hearts of all the prisoners were made glad. When he was done, King Finn praised him mightily, and asked what his name might be and how he came to be captured by the dark magician and his minions.

“I am Poe, of the Dameron clan,” said the woodworker, “and I was on my way to the king’s castle, to see if he had work there for a master carpenter.”

“I am very sure,” said King Finn, “that the king will be pleased to hire you, when we are all free.”

Then King Finn set himself to the loom, and his fellow prisoners acted as his assistants, and Poe sang very cheerfully and tunefully to keep their hearts from despairing, and in very little time indeed King Finn wove a tapestry so beautiful that it could surely not be suited to any home but the very castle of the king and queen; and into the tapestry he wove such signs and symbols as only his exceedingly clever wife could read, laying out where he was and the number of minions and the danger of the dark magician who commanded them.

As soon as the tapestry was finished, the dark magician took it, with much sneering and derision, and brought it at once to the castle where the queen waited for her king to return or send word. At first, Queen Rey would not see him, but said that she had no need for more tapestries; but the dark magician would not be dissuaded, and so at last she bade him bring the tapestry before her. When she saw it spread out upon the wall, at once she knew it for her beloved’s work, and saw too the signs and symbols which he had woven into it, warning her of the dark magician and his minions and directing her to the cavern where the prisoners were held.

Then when she had read the full message Queen Rey turned from the tapestry and said, “Indeed I will buy this from you; wait a little while until I can have the proper price for such a masterpiece brought to you.” So the dark magician waited, very pleased with his success; but instead of a chest of gold the servants brought Queen Rey a sword, and before the dark magician could realize his danger she struck off his head.

“Now you are no danger to my husband,” she said, and summoned the commander of the army, and bade him prepare his men to ride; and immediately they rode out towards the cavern where the king and his companions were held prisoner, and there slew the dark magician’s minions and set free the prisoners.

King Finn emerged from the cave last of all, aiding one of his companions who had been injured during the fighting, and delivered his companion to the healers who had accompanied his queen; and only then did he go to Queen Rey and take her in his arms and kiss her, and she kissed him in return, and they rejoiced in each other. Then the freed prisoners realized who their master weaver was, and cheered and made merry, and Poe cried out, “All praise to the queen, who has rescued us!”

“No,” said King Finn, “all praise to the queen, who has rescued us _twice_ \- once today, and once years ago when she bade me take up a trade to win her hand.”

Then King Finn and Queen Rey returned to the castle amid much rejoicing, and the tale was told all through the land, so that everyone knew of the wisdom of the queen and the courage of the king; and Poe was made an advisor for the sake of his calm and cheerful outlook; and they all lived very happily, and for all I know they are living there still.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm imaginarygolux on tumblr - drop on by!


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